The First Epoch
The First Epoch officially starts with the first known recording of civilization on Belenus - the establishment of the Legacy Rock. Other historical moments that take place before Legacy Rock are considered part of Ancient Belenus history. For many years, The First Epoch was synonymous with The Kingdom of O'Sine, as the Vei-led empire nearly completely colonized the continent over the 1200+ years and strongly influenced its subsequent culture. This is partially because the best kept histories were that of the Vei, who as a culture were avid readers and enjoyed authoring texts that recorded the most minute details. None of the other cultures on Belenus at the time were as thorough in their recordings - the Belenus and Norfolk tribes carried on oral traditions, while Mertral tribes tended to only record battle victories and harvests. However, in later years as more were included into the list of Citizen Species, more careful attention has been paid to also discovering the histories of the Norfolk, Mertral and Sunlings that had already been occupying the land. Pre-Belenus Settlement (Tanrei Island/Legacy Rock Era) For more Pre-Settlement history, see Ancient Belenus Belenus’ contact with The Vei actually began nearly 50 years before Yuna and Yu’he made it over from Iyn with The First Settlers. Exploratory ships from Iyn had previously discovered what would later become Tanrei Island. It was only through those detailed maps and diaries that The First Settlers could sail out of Iyn by themselves. Their arrival at Legacy Rock brought great disruption to the island, which had previously been inhabited by a tribe of Mertral. Tanrei Island Mertral It would take nearly 1000 years before the amphibious Mertral were recognized as intelligent creatures, but the species' first contact with Vei was on Tanrei Island. At the time of The First Settlers, Mertral were considered common beasts. The Mertral tribes living on the northern tip of Tanrei island were completely destroyed in the first 5 years of the landing of The First Settlers, as Vei Maeysters and ground-based Sunling/Hael troops made quick work of them. Diaries from this time tell of successful “Walking Lizard” hunts and the amazing feasts each lizard would bring. To the protest of some modern Mertral, these diaries are still on display in city museums and speak of “how fatty the flesh and delicious the meat.” Mertral were known to eat Sunlings as well, however. Certain excavations found Sunling bones at old Mertral camps. Throughout the next 100-200 years, any Mertral that hadn’t fled were hunted and eaten by the new populace. Early O'sine: The Colonization of Belenus (0KO - 594KO) 1st Century: 0KO - 99KO * 0KO '''The official start of the Kingdom of O'Sine with the crowning of - Yu'he, brother of Yuna. * '''10KO Last sighting of Mertral in the Northern part of Tanrei Island * 17KO All of Tanrei Island is mapped by the Vei * 36KO '''First Belenus Bloom * '''42KO MERTRAL End of the Jojo - Or'ke'ke War, with clear lines for the two tribes drawn out dividing the territory that runs from the northern marshes to the tropical jungles. * 45KO '''Garden Palace is built in the Mid-East of Tanrei Island, and the City of Gardens springs up around it. * '''69KO Last Mertral is spotted and killed on Tanrei Island. * 72KO '''Southern Palace is built on a mountain in the south of Tanrei Island. Starfruit City springs up around it. * '''90KO First campaign into Belenus by the O'sine explores the beach area and establishes the first mainland Vei village after eradicating a village of the Jojo Mertral living there. * 92KO Castle Misha begins building, finishes in 96KO. * 96KO '''Second Belenus Bloom Unclear Dates: * Somewhere in the later part of the century, a tribe of Forgefolk Norfolk calling themselves The Snow establish a seat of power in a large cave set into the Lower White Ringan Mountains. Through the next hundred years, it grows to become a city, ruled by Grunder the Elder and his kin. 2nd Century: 100KO - 199KO * '''115KO '''Yu'he returns to Tanrei Island and maps out the first three provinces of the Kingdom: Tanrei Province (encompassing all of Tanrei Island), Min Province and Sang Province. * '''132KO '''Yu'he returns to Belenus mainland on "second campaign" * '''139KO '''Wars with the JoJo Mertral tribes begin. * '''154KO '''Yu'he's explorations reach the Big Knife mountains. * '''156KO '''Third Belenus Bloom - future rulers Yu'jin and Yugan are born * '''165KO '''End of first "Mertral Subjugation" - half of the Mertral of the JoJo tribe killed or captured as livestock. * '''167KO '''Provinces of Big Knife and Wan are officiated. * '''198KO Beginning of Yu'he's third campaign to conquer all the way down to the southern tropics. Unclear Dates: * First JoJo refugees arrive in O'ke'ke around the mid-150s. O'ke'ke begin ramping up Warrior training. * Blue Hunters become renowned in Norfolk legends for successfully hunting Norfolk. Tales told to Norfolk children about The Evil Blue arise in this century. * Two Frostfolk Dynasties begin to emerge in the Far North: The Apuns and The Qaniy. 3rd Century: 200KO - 299KO * 201KO Beginning of the Or'ke'ke Dominance as Or'ke'ke warriors kill Prince Heshi, the first Vei to ever fall in a battle in Belenus. * 211KO Last war of the Or'ke'ke Dominance at the edge of the Wan province. A hundred-foot tall and 50 mile-wide Crystal Wall (still in existence, called The Wall of Wan) is constructed and the Or'ke'ke retreat. Few Or'ke'ke attacks are recorded afterwards. * 216KO Fourth Belenus Bloom * 239KO Yu'he begins the fourth campaign, to both take stock of and explore further into the North. * 240KO Travels down the River Amaranthine to the edge of The Great Forest. * 241KO On way back, Yu'he's boat capsizes during a storm and he, and the members of his boat, are lost in the river. In 245KO, the remainder of the party makes it back to Tanrel Island. * 245KO Upon learning of the death of Yu'he, Yujin is declared Emperor, backdating to 241KO. She consolidates her power through several bureaucratic reforms. * 248KO Empress Yujin begins the Vei Roads project, connecting all the palace cities in Tanrel Island with wide roadways. The Vei Roads project expands into Belenus as well as ports are built up and fortified. * 250KO: '''Empress Yujin chooses Castle Misha as the capital of the kingdom. * '''276KO: '''Fifth Belenus Bloom * '''298KO: '''The Vei Roads connect all the Great Cities of Sang, Min, Big Knife and Wan. 4th Century: 300KO - 399KO * '''304KO Yu'gan meets with the Aviana territories in an official capacity for the first time. * 306KO '''Trade agreements are set up between the Kingdoms of O'Sine and Aviana. * '''316KO '''Empress Yujin decrees the Aviana Roads project to pave the way into Aviana for better trading. * '''335KO '''Queen Mother Misha is retired to the Southern Palace. * '''336KO Sixth Belenus Bloom * 338KO '''An accord is signed with Goldstork, turning it into a tributary of the Kingdom of O'sine. A trading port is named the Port of Nine and becomes the seat of power for the Vei in the east. * '''350KO '''With Vei help, Whiteheron is absorbed into Goldstork territory. * '''351KO '''Bluegoose, in a bid to stay independent from Goldstork, becomes the second state to sign an accord with the Kingdom of O'sine. * '''352KO '''Blackswallow begins a war with Plumjay, rules the area by 355KO. * '''356KO Blackswallow begins a war with Grayowl * 358KO '''Grayowl signs an accord with the Kingdom of O'sine for their help in the war with Blackswallow. * '''359KO '''O'sine negotiates peace treaty with Blackswallow and Grayowl and the two form into Grayswallow. * '''365KO '''RedHawk overrun by northern nomadic raiders. Continues to refuse treaty with Vei. * '''370KO '''Greenfinch becomes a tributary * '''388KO '''All of Aviana's major cities are now connected by the Aviana Roads. * '''390KO '''Initiative to phase out individual regional currencies and unite all under the O'sine Coin. * '''396KO Seventh Belenus Bloom * 399KO Application for tributary to become a province begin. 5th Century: 400KO - 499KO * 402KO '''Official O'Sine map now lists 9 Provinces: Tanrei, Sang, Min, Wan, Big Knife, Grayswallow, Goldstork, Greenfinch, and Bluegoose. * '''414KO: '''Queen Mother Misha passes at age 558 * '''456KO: Eighth Belenus Bloom. * 457KO: '''After Bloom Census reveals over 100,000 living in Castle Misha, Port of Nine and Jade Moon Lake (capital of Min province). 6th Century: 500KO - 600KO * '''516KO: '''Ninth Belenus Bloom - Princess Yumi and Prince Yu'an are born. * '''576KO: Tenth Belenus Bloom * 576KO: '''Emperor Yujin abdicates the throne and becomes Queen Mother Yujin. Emperor Yu'gan is coronated. * '''599KO: Yujin passes away * 600KO: '''Yu'gan vanishes on his traveler's escapade. Other Species During This Period Mertral especially bore the brunt of O'sine encroachment during the first 600 years or so of Vei colonization. While Norfolk were farther up north than the territorial lines of O'Sine, the ones that were unlucky enough to wander South were hunted. Their fur was skinned and worn as coats - both Hejin and Hegan boasted beautiful, though now considered grisly, Norfolk fur cloaks. Belenus Sunlings were a special curiosity to all the First Settlers, looking like reversed versions of the Iyn Sunlings with completely different languages and ways of life. They were the easiest to absorb into the O'sine culture and began being incorporated as Citizen Species early into the Reign of Yu'he. The O'sine Civil War Era (600KO - 820KO) 7th Century: 601 - 700KO * '''630KO Deliberations over the throne end and Yu'an is declared Emperor. * 636KO Eleventh Belenus Bloom - Lady Gaigan blooms Gaimi and Gai'sway. One week later, they flee the palace. * 637KO '''The first Scarlet Purge - The Gai Dynasty (820KO - 1058KO) Empress Gaigan ruled for another years after her victory, and the period was considered peaceful, though it created an ideological split in Hael culture that was never quite healed. Bristling under the 200 or so years of cruelty by Southern O'sine many Hael were dismayed by her decision to include many "repentant" Vei nobles into her own court. The Hael of the Great Forest lobbied for its right to create its own kingdom of Hael, closed off to the rest of the world. In 832KO, she granted it, forming the Chekewasu ("Dark Green") Nation. * The Child Empress Gaitel (937- 996KO): The Privy Council had unprecedented powers during the “Rule of the Child Empress,” helping to establish order in O’Sine even as racial flare ups happened across the land. This period includes the nearly decade-long “White War” between the Snovdenoska Norfolk and Northern Sunling and Hael tribes, which was only finally put to bed through the strenuous efforts of Gaigan’s first children (Lady Gaimi and Lord Gai’sway). The two established the Order of Forbearance, which had the heady task of maintaining good interspecies relations. Gaitel’s life was short - she died from complications at her First Bloom, and her brother Gai’jin ascended to the throne. * The Gentle Emperor Gai’jin (996 – 1058KO): Though at least an adult when he became Emperor, Gai’jin was still more or less powerless during his rule. He had successfully bloomed with Lady Mamlinn from the House of Mam, which then lobbied for more power. Lady Mamlinn became Queen, a title no one had held since Misha. Meanwhile, the Order ran problems when it took on Mertral – a counter guerrilla group called The Yu’Shi Remembrance was formed to attack Order integration attempts (and anybody that supported them). Fearing another civil war, the Privy Council abolished The Order. Soon after an unsuccessful 17th Bloom, Gai’jin mysteriously disappeared and his daughter Mamgan became Empress. The Mam Dynasty & The Rift Curse (1059KO - 1394KO) * The Shadow Queen Mamlinn (1000~ - 1167KO): Supported by key relatives in the House of Mam, Queen Mamlinn ruled from behind the scenes for nearly 200 years. Her shadow rule started from her establishment as Queen soon after the Bloom with Emperor Gai’jin. She was head of the Privy Council in the 60-odd years of her first daughter Mamgan’s rule and, when Mamgan proved to be “difficult,” led the efforts to instate her second daughter Mamna to the throne. Her time behind the throne ended in her exile after her first son Mam’rai uncovered her part in assassinating Emperor Gai’jin. * The Rift Emperor Mam’rai (1168 – 1364KO): Mam’rai is remembered mostly for his part leading to the Rift Curse. He was considered a great talent amongst the Vei for Maegye arts and, for the first hundred years of his rule, actually helped greatly accelerate Maegye learnings. It was only after his third unsuccessful Bloom that he became obsessed with Vei immortality and fertility. This led him to commission several expeditions back to Iyn (none of which returned) and research into other planes. He was the first to form a “Rift,” a small tear in the fabric of space that flooded Vei with Maegye power. His fourth bloom produced triplets. By the next bloom, almost all Vei across Belenus were supplementing with Rifts and their population doubled. Then in 1359, the first Rift spiraled out of control, swallowing half a town and releasing hordes of daemon creatures. Within a year, the entire kingdom was descending into chaos. He disappeared into a Rift himself in 1364. * The Rift Curse & The Last Empress Mamna (1359 - 1394KO): While the first major incident was in 1359, many scholars trace the beginning of the Rift Curse to the 21st Bloom, when Emperor Mam'rai used the power of other planes to "revitalize" the Vei. After he disappeared into a rift in 1364, his older sister Mamna, who had retired to Duskglider Hall after the political intrigue of The Shadow Queen, became Interim Empress. She commissioned a young Vei priestess named Kaephryn, known for her albinism and supernatural talent at controlling Maey, to discover a way to close the Rifts. It took a 10-year journey with a group (later named Heroes of the Rift) across all of Belenus and in 1390KO, the secrets of Rift sealing were unlocked, at the cost of Kaephryn's life. By that time, the entire population of Maeykka had been reduced by a full third. Horrified by her own people's irresponsible usage of Maey, Empress Mamna dissolved the O'Sine Kingdom and granted lands to the Heroes of the Rift. The official end of the O'Sine Kingdom is noted as 1394KO, when The Contract for The Academy was signed and Mamna retired for a second time to become Headmaster of the Belenus Rift Task Force. '''